Drivers involved in accidents will have their phones checked to see if they were sending or receiving calls or texts at the time, it has emerged.

Charities and pressure groups have backed the newly-introduced police idea to use handset data as possible evidence in prosecutions.

But critics warned the plan could cause chaos over minor prangs, delaying the recovery of crashed vehicles and preventing drivers contacting relatives.

Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, of Gloucestershire Police, has issued her officers guidelines to check phones at any roadside accident.

Previously it only happened where people were killed or injured.

Ms Davenport is currently responsible for roads policing at the Association of Chief Police Officers.

She is determined to reduce the number of accidents due to motorists using handsets. AA president Edmund King welcomed the move.

He said: "Many drivers seem addicted to their phones and can't resist looking at a text or tweet at the wheel." He added: "We need a really concerted effort to crack this addiction with harsher penalties linked to a well-publicised information and enforcement campaign."

Motorists are four times more likely to crash if they use a mobile phone while driving, according to the Government's Think! safety awareness programme.

Reaction times are said to be dramatically slower - up to half as fast - compared with normal driving. Under current legislation it is illegal to use a hand-held mobile while driving, even when a vehicle has stopped in traffic or is at a crawl.

Latest estimates by researchers show that more than 500 people are killed or injured on the roads every year due to mobile phone use.